During the opening of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’snameplate referred to India as “Bharat,” prompting speculation about apotential name change for the South Asian nation. India is commonlyreferred to as Bharat, Bharata, or Hindustan in Indian languages, and thesenames have been used interchangeably by the public and in officialcontexts.
While India traditionally uses “India” in titles such as president orprime minister when communicating in English, President Droupadi Murmurecently referred to herself as the “President of Bharat” in a G20 leaders’reception dinner invitation, sparking controversy.
As Modi inaugurated the summit in New Delhi, he sat behind a table with anameplate reading “Bharat,” while the G20 logo displayed both names -“Bharat” in Hindi and “India” in English. Similar placards have used”India” in the past. Speaking in Hindi, the language spoken by the majorityof the population, Modi welcomed the delegates as “the President of theG20.”
New Delhi is hosting leaders from major economies at a new $300 millionconvention center named Bharat Mandapam, located opposite a 16th-centurystone fort. Supporters of the name “Bharat” argue that “India” was imposedby British colonizers, but historians note that the name predates colonialrule by centuries.
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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the rulingBhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has consistently advocated for calling thecountry Bharat. Modi’s political rivals suggest that this change may beinfluenced by the newly formed opposition alliance, INDIA (Indian NationalDevelopmental Inclusive Alliance), consisting of 28 parties, which aims tochallenge the BJP in next year’s parliamentary elections. The PrimeMinister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
